Vospers Tag Rugby Programme Nears Festival Finale
Plymouth Albion and Vospers have continued their work together in the community over the past eight weeks, delivering a primary school tag rugby programme that has engaged hundreds of young players across the city.
Led by Albion’s community coaching team, the initiative has brought rugby directly into schools, with pupils taking part in structured coaching sessions designed to build skills, confidence and teamwork.
Over the past two years, the partnership has already made a significant impact across Plymouth. Through the programme, more than 500 children have been introduced to rugby, with over 200 hours of coaching delivered in local primary schools.
For many pupils, these sessions represent their first experience of the sport. Through tag rugby, they are not only learning how to pass, run and work as a team, but also being introduced to the core values of rugby: teamwork, respect, enjoyment, discipline and sportsmanship. These values sit at the heart of every session delivered by Albion’s community coaches and help young players develop confidence both on and off the field.
The programme has been made possible thanks to the continued support of Vospers, whose commitment to investing in young people and grassroots sport has helped bring rugby directly into classrooms and playgrounds across the city.
Schools Taking Part
This year’s programme has welcomed pupils from ten primary schools across Plymouth:
- Montpelier Primary School
- Marlborough Primary School
- Keyham Barton Catholic Primary School
- Stoke Damerel Primary School
- Pilgrim Primary Academy
- Weston Mill Community Primary Academy
- Mayflower Community Academy
- Pennycross Primary School
- St Andrew’s CofE Primary School
- St George’s CofE Primary School
Across the eight-week programme, pupils have taken part in weekly sessions focusing on the fundamentals of tag rugby, developing their passing, movement and communication as a team.
With one week of coaching sessions remaining, excitement is building as schools prepare for the Vospers Tag Rugby Festival, which will take place at Brickfields on Wednesday 25th. The festival will bring all participating schools together for a day of tag rugby, giving pupils the opportunity to showcase everything they have learned during the programme.
Supporting the Next Generation
The programme reflects a shared ambition between Plymouth Albion and Vospers to strengthen grassroots rugby in the city and create opportunities for young people through sport.
Max Venables, Managing Director of Plymouth Albion, said:
“The impact this programme is having across Plymouth is fantastic to see. For many of these children it is their first experience of rugby, and through these sessions they are learning not just the skills of the game but the values that make rugby so special. We are incredibly grateful to Vospers for their continued support in helping us deliver opportunities like this for young people across the city.”
Peter Vosper, Chairman of Vospers, added:
“Vospers has a strong sense of community within its values and we are therefore delighted to be able to bring the tag rugby programme back to our local schools for a second year. The benefits to the child’s mental health, physical health and well-being, and instilling a sense of teamwork is incredibly important, and through the rugby programme they are able to fulfil such of this.”
As the final week of coaching approaches, pupils across Plymouth are looking forward to coming together at Brickfields to celebrate their progress and enjoy a day of rugby with their classmates.
Through initiatives like this, Plymouth Albion and Vospers continue to work side by side to grow the game, support local schools and inspire the next generation of players in the city.
